Notes from the Patch

What a difference a day makes!

Bill and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary on Friday.

I had an eye infection.

He suffered from a bout of diverticulitis.

I went to bed with a hot compress.

He took antibiotics.

We're such a fun couple.

I've been under a bit of stress lately - emptying a vacation home and getting ready for our annual shop hop. Friday morning I was feeling physically rotten and completely overwhelmed. Saturday I awoke to a much improved eye and the offer to help cut 1300 shop hop felt thingies from two sweet friends. What a difference a day makes!

I wanted to show you our quilt for the shop hop. The theme this year is baskets. Each of the eleven shops was to provide a 12" basket block in "basket colors". It was up to the individual shops to set and fill the baskets any way they saw fit. Although the basket idea was basically mine I'll admit that once we had all of the blocks together I was stumped as to how to set them. They all seemed so...brown, but after a few days of trying different setting ideas we came up with this and

I absolutely love it!

We have a limited number of setting kits available for presale so if you're interested please let us know.

We hope you'll join us May 3, 4, & 5 for our fourth annual Heart of the Valley Shop Hop. Our team has been putting our heads together and with the help of Pinterest I think we have some super fun surprises planned for you. (How did we ever exist without Pinterest)? All I can say is you will not want to miss the party!

Encourage one another,

          

The past week in review

I've been quiet lately, I know. Here's what I've been up to.

Last week I:

1. Watched my car's odometer click over 100,000 miles. I've never driven a car this long. I really hope feel it's just getting broken in. #fingerscrossed

2. Made fifty two treats for Bernina Club.

3. Worked on the final design of our Shop Hop quilt. #challenging

4. Cooked a super healthy Sunday night dinner and threw it in the trash. (Sometimes you need a little fat in a recipe to make it edible). Had a fudge bar instead.

5. Stayed in my PJ's all day Saturday sewing and nesting. #myperfectday

6. Unpacked box after box of fabric and ended up moving half the store so I could put it all away. # ohmyachingback

7. Picked a winner to our Pillow Pop giveaway. Congratulations to Jan Richards from Washington! Thanks to everyone who entered!

8. Had my teeth cleaned, bladder scanned and roots colored. #goodnews #badnews #muchneededmaintenance

9. Ate oatmeal everyday for lunch. There's nothing better on a cold day!

10. Played with our pretty new felted wool balls.

11. Saw another Oscar nominated film for best picture (that makes five out of nine - we never see that many).

12. Stocked up on those cute little colored clothes pins - we finally got some in.

13. Easily found at least one thing to be grateful for everyday.

How about you?

Encourage one another,

 

 

Gratitude

I've been so weepy lately. I'm fine during the day but once Bill goes off to bed and the house gets quiet I loose it.

I must say I've had my share of things to be sad about. Last Friday Bill and I attended our forth funeral in less than three weeks. As we drove north to the service the news of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings broke over the radio. We listened in disbelief. So much sadness. So much senseless tragedy.

My heart aches for our friend who suddenly lost her husband of over fifty years. I'm so sad for her children and grandchildren who are trying to deal with the loss of their dad and grandpa. My heart aches for another friend whose mother recently passed away from cancer. She feels so lost and misses her mother terribly. I can't even imagine how the families of the students and faculty in that Connecticut school must feel. The whole nation grieves with them.

Early today we got news that my former manager, Amanda had to have her two day old baby boy airlifted to UCLA for open heart surgery. She and her sweet family face months of worry while living in the PICU.

Bill and I feel so helpless. We can't take away their pain. We can only cry and pray and hope they feel the love that is sent their way.

Enter my Gratitude Jar. I was going to wait until January to start it but I really need it now. I want to focus on the positive; writing down something I'm thankful for everyday. Looking for the good in the midst of all this sadness.

Day 1. Today I am thankful for the team of skilled pediatric heart surgeons who will perform surgery on baby Will. Today I am thankful for a God that loves each of us and hears our prayers.

If you would like to send a card to Amanda and her family you can send them to Strawberry Patches and I'll see that she gets them.

I'm so thankful for you all.

Encourage one another,

 

 

 

 

Random Ramblings

Phew. I'm back. (deep breath).

I love being busy but these last few weeks have been a little much even for me. I've missed you!

Let's catch up a bit shall we?

:: Some of the fun gifts I found at the LA Gift Show last week have started to arrive. I'll show you some here later. I love having more room in our bigger store to do more displays...one of my favorite jobs.

:: Speaking of displays...I never showed you this...

...it's the flannel dress that Beverly made for us. Sadly it doesn't look like we're having a winter this year. Yesterday it was seventy five degrees in LA when I was there for the Craft and Hobby Show. Crazy!

:: Several of you have been asking how I'm doing drinking the Glowing Green Smoothie so now that I've been drinking it for just over three weeks I thought it was time for a progress report.

First let me say that I started it in early January because after months of poor eating habits I was feeling tired and sluggish. I was no longer enjoying foods that I used to love and I was just feeling a need for a dietary change and a total detox. I drink 25 to 30 ounces every morning and although weight loss was not my primary motivation for starting the program I have lost about five pounds.  What's really weird is drinking the smoothie has totally taken away all cravings for caffeine and sweets and I feel a definite surge of energy after I finish my morning drink. I was a daily triple latte drinker for years and haven't wanted coffee since starting the program. I can't say that I've noticed an improvement in my hair, nails or skin  and certainly haven't had anyone tell me I look better, but I do feel better. Much, much better!

You know it's strange, but when you start your day off by getting 100% of your dietary fiber and daily requirements of fruits and vegetables you just want to continue to eat right throughout the day. I've even thought about starting an exercise program again. Just a thought at this point but who knows!

Will I continue? You bet. I really enjoy drinking that nasty looking green juice and love the boost of energy and sense of well being it gives me.

Do me a favor, will you? If you have tried the Glowing Green Smoothie (and I've heard from many of you that have) would you take a moment to comment to this blog post so others can read about your experience? Whatever your experience, I think sharing can help encourage others.

:: Bill and I met with our travel agent today to book plane fares for Europe at the end of May. We've been saving our air miles for two years and are really looking forward to getting to go again. Somebody pinch me! I'm one lucky and excited girl!

:: I've been putting the finishing touches on a email newsletter where we'll be announcing some fun special events and classes coming up at Strawberry Patches. If you'd like to stay up to date with what we're doing go here and sign up for the newsletter.

:: So are you all doing something special for Super Bowl? I hope to be sewing. I got another one of my crazy ideas that I want to try. If it turns out you know I'll be a sharing.

Until then...

Encourage one another,

Going green

Last week as I was having my nails done I asked my manicurist what she was doing to her skin. Her face was absolutely radiant and trust me, sitting two feet away from someone with one of those little lights illuminating every pore you just notice those things.

She reached down and from behind her station produced a tall glass of the most vile looking green sludge.

Green Smoothies. She said she had been drinking a detoxifying green smoothie once a day for the past three weeks or so.

I don't know what got into me, but Saturday I bought the book

all the stuff

and have had a green smoothie once a day ever since.

And you know what? They're not that bad.

You can get the recipe and view the ABC video here.

Cheers!

Encourage one another,

Monday mornings Bill and I get up early and always stop at Starbucks on our way back to Bakersfield. This morning as we pulled out of the driveway he asked me if I wanted coffee.

Of course, I replied. Why do you ask?

Just checking, Sometimes you just get kinda weird when it comes to what you eat and drink.

Silly man.

 

Update

Here is an update from my DIL on grandson Nathan's condition. Please read the second paragraph and know how much our family appreciates your love and support for our brave boy!

If you'd like to send Nathan a card here is the link

 

After a good night, it was a day of ups and downs yesterday. They always say the day after surgery is the worst, and I think that was true for Nathan. Just really sore and not feeling too well, but leave it up to him after a hard day to still find the strength to agree to sit up, get out of bed and sit in a chair for a while. I think I was more scared than he was to try this little stunt! By the end of the day he was in good shape, and was able to get a really good nights sleep last night. Today he is going to move out of ICU and go upstairs to a regular room on the hospital floor. He will be having a lot of his accessories taken off today (lines, tubes, etc.) and will be ready to walk around by this afternoon...hip, hip, hurray!!!

At about 6:30 last night a nurse comes wondering into our room looking for Nathan Zingg. She has a huge stack of those wonderful printed cards and says, "I have NEVER seen so many cards sent to one patient in one day before!!! You must have a lot of people at home thinking about you!" Those thoughtful notes are so sweet and give him so much encouragement, he cannot wait to get out of here and back home soon! Sending love and thanks to everyone that has been showing our family such an amazing amount of care and support in so many ways!

One more thing to look forward to today...a visit from big brother Jake, HURRAY!!!

 

Encourage one another,

 

Grammie Zingg

 

A Very Brave Boy

 The following is a note written by my daughter in law on Nathan's Caring Bridge page.

Today as we were walking to the entrance of the hospital at 7:30am, Nathan had a spring in his step, and smiled and said, "Ah, it's like my second home!  I am so glad Daddy found this place for me!"  He was right, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital has been like his second home for 9 years, ever since being born here on July 4th, 2002.

  

At my 5 month ultrasound, we were told that our baby had a heart defect and that he would need surgery shortly after he was born.  Jeff immediately found the best care for us and we delivered Nathan here at LPCH.  Ever since, he has been coming here and seeing a team of experts to manage his care.

When he was two years old, he was additionally diagnosed with Diamond Blackfan Anemia, a rare blood disorder, (http://www.dbafoundation.org/about.php) and between both conditions, he is checked on often and has been a trooper through it all!

 

Nathan has a positive outlook, loves life, and can put a smile on my face even on days like today.

  

Tonight Nathan has this picture next to his bed, taken after his last surgery here 6 years ago.

I know Jeff is watching over him through this, being his guardian angel, and still taking care of our brave little boy.

Nathan did great in today's five hour surgery and now has a brand new heart valve. Thank you to his amazing surgeon, his team of doctors and nurses who are taking such good care of our brave boy, and a very big thank you to everyone for your thoughts, prayers and cards for Nathan. It means a lot to us!

 

Encourage one another,

Grammie Zingg

The three stages of caregiving

Anxiety

Empathy

You're driving me bonkers!

Last night I was awakened by a loud noise and as I rolled over to investigate I realized my patient was gone. Bill and his walker were no where to be found.

In the darkness I searched the bedroom and adjoining bath.

No Bill.

Then I walked down the hall  to "his" bathroom. 

There he was, on. the. floor!

What the heck.

He said he couldn't sleep and tripped on the way to the bathroom.

We have this deal. You don't get up without me being there to assist you. (My husband has never been all that great at doing what I say).

After a bit of struggling we got him up and back to bed. He's fine except for that bruise on his ego.

                                  ********************

Nathan will be admitted today to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University for open heart surgery on Thursday. He has a wonderful doctor there and I know he will do just great. For Cherene's sake however, I hope Nathan follows directions better than his PaPa Bill.

If you'd like to send Nathan Zingg a get well card you can do so by going here.

Thanks guys. You're the best!

Encourage one another,

 AKA Nurse Ratched

 

 

 

 

This guy

Only Bill would think to pack hot sauce for his hospital stay. No matter how bad he feels he wants hot sauce. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's the way he likes it and there is no changing him. (Trust me. I've tried).

And only this guy sends me flowers

every. single. time. I get a clean cancer scope. (And thankfully I've had a bunch)!

This guy got a brand new knee today and is doing just great. 

Here's to lifes blessings (and a good bottle of hot sauce).

Cheers!

Thank you everyone for all your good thoughts and prayers. You're the best!

Encourage one another,

 

Fragile. Handle with care.

I'm feeling a bit melancholy today.

Mortal.

Vulnerable.

Weepy.

Our family has some pretty heavy things on the horizon.

Bill and nine year old grandson, Nathan are both having major surgeries in the next few days.

I think we're all a bit scared, although we don't talk about it much.

We've been through our share of stuff over the last couple of years.

I know we'll get through this just fine.

But still...

...it just makes me realize how everything can change in a blink of an eye.

Life is so fragile, we need to handle it with care prayer.

If you're the praying sort, we could sure use some.

Encourage one another,